KiSoft VOICE picking solution

KiSoft VOICE is a powerful voice-directed picking (VDP) solution from KNAPP.

Improvements in voice recognition technology have made this technique a more reliable option than it was, say, five years ago. The use of VDP can have dramatic effects on performance. At KNAPP, for example, we have found that our VDP solutions show an increase in picking performance over paper picking of up to 35% and over handheld scanner operations of up to 15%. In these testing economic times when comparative costs and margins really matter, these are significant advantages.

Key benefits of VDP are highly efficient picking operations, precise inventory control and accurate identification. Unlike paper-based or RF systems, VDP solutions allow staff to use both hands for picking, making the solution ideal for loads of mixed sizes and varying weights, such as those typically handled by third party logistics operators. VDP software has the facility to operate with several different languages simultaneously, allowing clients to integrate non-mother-tongue workers seamlessly into the workflow. What’s more, by avoiding the need for high-speed printers and paper pick lists, VDP is attractive to companies with a green agenda.

The KNAPP Group has supplied a large number of VDP systems recently, with over 300 units being supplied to one UK supermarket chain alone.

Recent VDP orders in the UK include systems for entertainment media distributor, Cinram; home entertainment wholesaler, Handleman; and veterinary products supplier, Centaur Services. In Europe, KNAPP has installed four VDP systems in Germany recently – for food wholesaler Kaiser’s Tengelmann; electronics supplier Vivanco; garden centre retailer Dehner; and Coca-Cola licence holder Getränke-Industrie Hamburg – as well as one for the pharmaceutical company Cooprofar in Portugal.